Printers / Mobile / Screenreaders
Admin Sign In 
 Library Home  »  Subject and Course Guides Home  »  History of Love Course Guide

History of Love Course Guide 

This guide will help you choose a topic, find sources, write your paper, and create a works cited page.
Last update: Sep 11th, 2009 URL: http://libguides.uta.edu/love  Print Guide  RSS Updates

Glossary             Print Page
  
 

Notes on the glossary

Notes on the glossary

Words on this list are predominantly of Yiddish and Hebrew origin, with a few Russian, Spanish, and German terms scattered throughout.

There are 17 words from two lists of Yiddish and Hebrew words on pages 37 and 143, which do not appear in this glossary. Krauss spells many foreign words phonetically, and in combination with lack of meaningful context, words from these two pages are impossible to identify with enough certainty to include here.

 

Sources

Sources used

Here is where all those wonderful definitions come from.

 

  • YWB  
      
    Rosenbaum, Samuel. A Yiddish Word Book for English-Speaking People. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1978.

    2nd Floor reference collection.

    PJ 5117 R65
  • OED  
      
    Oxford English Dictionary. The finest dictionary in any language, this is the best source for definitions of English words.
  • ENCJ  
      
    Karesh, Sara, and Mitchell Hurvitz. Encyclopedia of Judaism. New York: Facts on File, 2006.
  • ENCH  
      
    Gutman, Israel, Ed. Encyclopedia of the Holocaust. New York: Macmillan, 1990.

    Reference (Floor 2) D 804.3 .E53 1990
  • Soltz  
      
    Rabbi Soltz of the Temple of Beth Shalom
 
 

Definitions of foreign terms

Glossary

Foreign words occur abundantly in The History of Love. Characters have a variety of national origins (American, Russian, Polish, English), and they bring with them words and phrases from their native languages. Many characters are also Jewish, which brings the Yiddish language into the mix. Yiddish is like English in that it has absorbed words from many other languages; a speaker of Yiddish is likely to use words from German, Hebrew, and a handful of Slavic languages. In order to better appreciate this novel, you’ll want to learn a little about the languages its characters speak. 

  • יהוה (p. 203)  
      
    Hebrew. One of the Hebrew word for God, often transliterated as YHWH or Yahweh. There are seven names for God in the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible. YHWH is considered to be God’s proper name, and to pronounce it is blasphemy.
  • Bialy (p.76)  
      
    Yiddish. Short for bialystoker, from Bialystok, a Polish city. A small roll, like a bagel, that has only been baked, not boiled. Internet
  • Dacha (p.138)  
      
    Russian. A country cottage used in the summer. OED
  • Dai ruku (p.140)  
      
    Russian. “Give me your hand” A Google search for this phrase showed this translation several times, including in an article in JSTOR.
  • Daleds (p.150)  
      
    Hebrew. The fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Hebrew letters carry numerical values. In this case, 4. Since it is used to describe a class at Bird’s school, it probably refers to their grade level. YWB, Internet
  • Daven (p.37)  
      
    Yiddish. From davenen. To pray, especially to recite daily prayers. This act is frequently accompanied by swaying or rocking to and fro. YWB, OED
  • De rets Yiddish? (p.87)  
      
    Yiddish. “Do you speak Yiddish?” This phrase was translated by a library staff member.
  • Dumkop (p.6)  
      
    Yiddish. Idiot. Akin to German slang Dumkopf, literally “stupid-head” from dum=stupid, kopf=head.
  • Einsatzgruppen (p. 12)  
      
    German. Short for Einsatzgruppen des Sicherheitsdienstes, Operation Squads of the Security Service. Mobile Nazi death squads responsible for executing large numbers of Jews as well as other groups they deemed enemies of Germany. ENCH
  • Farshtaist? (p.87)  
      
    Yiddish. “Do you understand?” (2nd person singular verb). From farshteyen, “to understand”. See German verstehen, “to understand”. YWB
  • Gimpel (p. 209)  
      
    A Yiddish surname. YWB
  • Hay (p.150)  
      
    Hebrew. The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Hebrew letters carry numerical values. In this case, 5. This is almost certainly a reference to Bird being in 5th grade at school. Often spelled Hei. Internet
  • Keynehore (p.98)  
      
    Yiddish. Yiddish and Hebrew Kein Ayin HoReh, meaning "without the evil eye." Often uttered to avoid ill fortune. Soltz.
  • Khevra kadisha (p.124)  
      
    Aramaic/Yiddish. Also spelled chevra kadisha. An organization of Jewish men and women who ceremonially guard and prepare corpses for burial. See the Yiddish word kaddish, an Aramaic prayer praising God. ENCJ
  • Kibbutz (p.37)  
      
    Hebrew. A collective settlement in Israel, owned communally by its members, and organized on cooperative principles. OED
  • Kindertransport (p. 68)  
      
    German. Literally “child-transport”, this was the name of an operation preceding WWII to protect Jewish children from the Nazis by bringing them to England. Internet
  • Kippah (p.36)  
      
    The small round skullcap worn by some Jews. Also known as a yarmulke. OED
  • Kishkes (p. 10)  
      
    Yiddish. Slang term for guts. Referring to body parts to express emotional states is a common Yiddish mannerism. OED, ENCJ
  • Knedelach (p.16)  
      
    Yiddish. Euphemism for testicles. From kneyd’l, literally “matzah ball”. YWB
  • Lamed vovnik (p.203)  
      
    Hebrew. Literally “thirty-sixer”, lamed vovniks are thirty-six special Tzaddikim upon whom the continued existence of the world depends. According to Jewish tradition, these thirty-six men and women humbly bear the world’s suffering and sins. ENCJ
  • L’chaim (p.84)  
      
    Hebrew. A toast meaning “to life!” From chai, the Hebrew word for life. Each letter in the Hebrew has a numerical value, and since the letters in chai add up to eighteen, that number has gained symbolic meaning in Judaism. See also lamed vovnik. OED.
  • Macher (p.174)  
      
    Yiddish. Big shot, important person. Compare to German machen, “to do”. YWB
  • Mameh (p.168)  
      
    Yiddish. Mother. YWB
  • Mazel tov (p.120)  
      
    Hebrew. Literally means “good astrological sign”, and by extension, good luck. It is used to express both major and minor congratulations. ENCJ
  • Mezuzah (p.60)  
      
    Hebrew. Literally means “doorpost”. Commonly refers to the miniature parchment scroll and decorative holder affixed to the right side of doorposts in Jewish homes, businesses, and institutions. ENCJ
  • Mishpocheh (p.86)  
      
    Yiddish, from Hebrew mishpacha. Family, blood relations. Also spelled mishpokhe. YWB
  • Moshiach (p.150)  
      
    Hebrew. Messiah. Literally, “anointed one”, from the ancient practice of daubing kings with oil to signify their authority. Jewish tradition holds that the messiah has not yet come. ENCJ
  • Nebbish (p.86)  
      
    Yiddish, from Hebrew nefesh. Poor little thing, insignificant person. YWB
  • Nu (p.85)  
      
    Yiddish. Interjection meaning “well?” or “so?” or “get on with it”. YWB
  • Schlemiel (p.86)  
      
    Yiddish. Inept one, misfit, sad sack. YWB
  • Shabbas (p.174)  
      
    Hebrew. The Sabbath, the weekly day of rest in the Jewish faith. Also spelled Shabbos or Shabbes. YWB
  • Shalom (p.132)  
      
    Hebrew. Peace, complete, wellbeing. OED
  • Shema gisrael adona, elohanu adonai echad (p.67)  
      
    Hebrew. A Jewish prayer. “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.” ENCJ
  • Shiddukh (p.174)  
      
    Yiddish, from Hebrew. An arranged marriage, a (good) match. Also spelled shidduch. OED
  • Shmatta (p.80)  
      
    Yiddish. A rag, or anything of shabby quality. Also spelled shmate. YWB
  • Shpritz (p.82)  
      
    Yiddish. Spray or shower. Also spelled sprits. YWB
  • Shvartser (p.80)  
      
    Yiddish. A person with dark skin, literally “black person”. In current use, this is a somewhat derogatory term. Compare to German Schwarz/Schwarzer. YWB
  • Siddurs (p.37) (singular siddur)  
      
    Yiddish, from Hebrew siddur. The prayer book for weekdays and Sabbaths. OED
  • Sukkot (p.94)  
      
    Hebrew. From Hebrew sukkot. The Feast of Tabernacles. One of three Biblical pilgrimage festivals. For seven days Jews are commanded to live in small booths or huts in remembrance of the Exodus. YWB
  • Tateh (p.168)  
      
    Yiddish. Father. YWB
  • Tuchus (p.81)  
      
    Yiddish. Buttocks. OED
  • Tzaddik (p.7)  
      
    Hebrew. Literally “righteous one”; a kind of saint or holy person. Tzaddikim are experts of the Torah (the first five parts of the Hebrew Bible), community leaders, and spiritual role models. Traditionally, this role is passed from father to son.
  • Un viejon (p.65)  
      
    Spanish. Derogatory slang for “old man”. This slang term was defined by a library staff member.
  • Yartzeit candle (p.85)  
      
    Yiddish. A candle lit on the anniversary of a loved one’s death. This candle burns for twenty four hours, during which time prayers are recited. ENCJ
  • Yiddish (p.6)  
      
    A Germanic, predominantly Jewish language with origins in Medieval Germany. Linguistically, it is a dialect of German with a vocabulary heavily influenced by Hebrew and several Slavic languages. OED, ENCJ
  • Zloty (p. 11)  
      
    The Polish national currency. OED
 

Subject Guide

Profile ImageJoshua Vossler
Contact Info:
817-272-5747 (Hard to reach me here-- e-mail is best)
Send Email

Subjects:
English literature, English composition, humanities research

 
Description

  Loading content... please wait